Science and Technology
Pantelis
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Posts by Pantelis
Google Android
Nov 13th
Google founder Sergey Brin and Steve Horowitz talk about Google’s new Linux-based, software platform for mobile devices. In the video shown below, Sergey announces a $10 million challenge for the best Android applications.
More information: The Open Handset Alliance.
Jumbo jet and rainbow
Nov 6th
During my recent trip to San Diego to attend the IROS conference, I took the following photo from inside the plane upon our final approach to the San Diego International airport; click the image for the higher resolution version.
Great self-reference joke
Nov 6th
A logician saves the life of a tiny space alien. The alien is very grateful and, since she’s omniscient, offers the following reward: she offers to answer any question the logician might pose. Without too much thought (after all, he’s a logician), he asks: “What is the best question to ask and what is the correct answer to that question?” The tiny alien pauses. Finally she replies, “The best question is the one you just asked; and the correct answer is the one I gave.”
Joke by Rich Hilliard and found at Self-reference jokes: A collection
High speed camera action with balloons
Nov 4th
High speed camera are awesome. Check out the following footage of a water balloon exploding captured at 5000fps,
Balloon Burst – High Frame Rate Camera – The funniest videos are a click away
And also checkout another water filled balloon falling to the ground but not exploding also filmed with a high speed camera at 2000fps,
How to write a term paper
Oct 28th
1. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a well lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
2. Read over the assignment carefully, to make certain you understand it.
3. Walk down to the vending machines and buy some coffee to help you concentrate.
4. Stop off at another floor on the way back and visit with your friend from class. If your friend hasn’t started the paper yet either, you can both walk to McDonald’s and buy a hamburger to help you concentrate. If your friend shows you his paper, typed, double-spaced, and bound in one of those irritating see-thru plastic folders, drop him.
5. When you get back to your room, sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
6. Read over the assignment again to make absolutely certain you understand it.
7. Check your e-mail; reply to everyone who sent you letters.
8. You know, you haven’t written to that kid you met at camp since fourth grade… You’d better write that letter now and get it out of the way so you can concentrate.
Motorcycle jacket with airbags
Oct 18th
Having been in the unpleasant position of getting hit by a car while riding a bicycle, I can appreciate the existence of what seems a rather crazy product: a jacket with build in airbags! Impact Jackets manufactures these for motorcycle and horse back riders; I wish they had a light version for cyclists, at least for the winter because who wears anything more than a t-shirt during the summer? The jackets are a bit expensive at $500 but compared to preventing you from shuttering your bones and even saving your life, it is a small price to pay. Some guy in Baltimore already owns his life to one of these jackets.
i-SOBOT
Sep 26th
Check out this video of the world’s smallest humanoid robot i-SOBOT soon to become available for sale via Amazon (next month for less than $300, I believe.)
Moon 2.0: The Google Lunar X PRIZE
Sep 17th
The Google Lunar X PRIZE seeks to create a global private race to the Moon that excites and involves people around the world and, accelerates space exploration for the benefit of all humanity. The use of space has dramatically enhanced the quality of life and may ultimately lead to solutions to some of the most pressing environmental problems that we face on earth — energy independence and climate change.
Killer science quotes
Aug 13th
I was doing some serious research online (hehe) and I came across the following two killer science quotes,
First you guess. Don’t laugh, this is the most important step. Then you compute the consequences. Compare the consequences to experience. If it disagrees with experience, the guess is wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your guess is or how smart you are or what your name is. If it disagrees with experience, it’s wrong. That’s all there is to it.
– Richard Feynman, from a PBS show on Dr. Feynman. He was describing to his class how to look for a new law of physics
The great tragedy of science – the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.
– T H Huxley (1887-1975)
There are more great science quotes here.
